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About University Housing

Approximately 10,000 undergraduate students live on the University of Michigan campus in University housing. In a typical year, residents come from nearly all 50 states and over 65 foreign countries. There is no requirement to live on campus, but because residential communities are the best places to meet others and enter into campus life, 97 percent of first-year students prefer to live in University Housing.

Our residence halls and apartments are far more than places for resting or studying. They function as smaller, more accessible communities within the University of Michigan, helping new students make a successful transition from high school to college. They provide a sense of belonging. Many residents return to campus housing because of the amenities, conveniences and friendships.

Facilities include 18 residence halls and 1,480 apartments on North Campus that accommodate undergraduates, students with families and graduate students.

Over 600 regular staff and as many as 2,000 part-time student employees sustain the wide range of facilities, services, and programs that support the needs of these residential communities.

Our Mission

One of many student-centered programs in the Division of Student Affairs, University Housing serves students through its mission: To create and sustain diverse learning-centered residential communities that further the goals of the University. Through partnership with others, we provide quality programs, services, and facilities for those we serve.

Living at Michigan Credo

The University of Michigan is a special place. It is an educational community designed to foster freedom of thought and unconventional, even uncomfortable, opinions. It attempts to provide an environment conducive to inquiry, in which innovation and creativity are nurtured. Part of this openness to ideas is an acceptance and appreciation of diverse cultures from around the country and around the world— an allowance not only for people to be different, but a recognition that such diversity is the vital core of University life. University Housing is committed to an inclusive, sensitive, socially just and humane community in our residence halls and apartments.

Many students use their college years to explore and develop their personal identity and values. We believe this exploration can best take place in an environment that is open to and respectful of individuals across the spectrum of human differences and distinctions. It is the responsibility of every member of the Housing community, staff and students alike, to work to create and maintain such an environment. We pledge to work collectively to examine our values and conduct, and to question those values when they reflect an origin of fear, anger, or ignorance. Acts of bigotry are acts of hatred against us all, and they will not be condoned or tolerated. We must all share in the responsibility of confronting unacceptable behavior, and in providing an example of involved citizenship. We continue to strive towards fulfilling our ideals. Join us in this affirmation of our common humanity.

Living in a Community

Members of a residence hall community participate in a range of activities, from concerts and movie screenings to sporting events, socials and special theme events. Each term also brings a full schedule of seminars and workshops on topics such as diet and nutrition, stress management, health education, sexuality, diversity, academics and study techniques.

Residence life staff work in partnership with other campus units to continually provide safe and inclusive, multicultural residential communities. Peer advisors provide educational support functions, programming, and consultation for students related to intergroup relations and cultural awareness.

A variety of student leadership opportunities are available through the Residence Hall Association, hall and multicultural councils, community service and other organizations. In addition, several residential Michigan Learning Communities provide academic, experiential and leadership opportunities for over 1,400 students.

Academic Support

Student peer advisors offer consultation on course and concentration selection, study skills and computer assistance. Additionally, academic and technology programs and events are presented throughout the academic year in the halls.

Community Learning Centers in residence halls offer a comfortable, technology-rich environment conducive to learning, with space provided for individual and group work.

Technology support for high-speed internet access in student rooms and wireless service in the residence halls is provided by the ITS Service Center.

Residential Dining

Dining halls are critical to the residential experience. Residential Dining Services offers board plans and a variety of meal options in several full-service dining halls. In addition, a number of retail cafés provide early morning to late night grab 'n go options, deli offerings and alternative meal selections. Combined, these services add up to as many as 18 hours of dining service per day.

Safety & Security

The University of Michigan is the only Big Ten school with a dedicated, professional security staff for its residence halls and apartments. Housing Security officers maintain a daily (and nightly) presence to offer assistance to residents, investigate incidents, and to monitor systems for electronic access and fire protection. They also meet with individual residents and groups about campus safety.

Graduate & Family Housing

With over 1,000 graduate and student families as residents, the Northwood Community Apartments is a vibrant campus community. Residents represent more than 80 countries, affording both adults and children the opportunity to discover lifestyles and customs from around the world. Throughout the year, Northwood community aides work with residents on a wide range of cultural and social events that engage students and families.

Northwood has its own Community Center, which serves as a focal point for social events and programs.

Residential Life Initiatives

University Housing is an auxiliary enterprise and is financially self supporting for annual operations through its room and board revenue. It seeks to balance room and board rates—with the responsibility of providing students with a satisfactory experience that supports their academic progress—and reinvesting in facilities so they meet the needs of current and future generations of students.

University Housing's building portfolio and inventory totals approximately 4.7 million square feet of floor space, approximately one-sixth of the campus total. The replacement value of the fixed assets is estimated at over $1 billion.

The Residential Life Initiatives provides a planned approach for the renewal, revitalization and expansion of campus residential facilities, including both student housing and dining. Many efforts are underway to revitalize facilities, programs, and the dining experience to strengthen the connection between living and learning for present and future students.

Housing Availability and Assignments

University Housing is committed to providing an exceptional residential experience for students who live within our residence halls and campus apartments. The living and dining facilities, programs and services we offer are structured "to create and sustain diverse, learning-centered residential communities" and are the preferred student housing choices for nearly all incoming freshmen and many returning students.

While we make every effort to accommodate new and returning students, University Housing is limited in the number of spaces we can offer upperclass students. During our current round of renovations and improvements to our facilities, University Housing assigns spaces on the basis of priority for those students who typically benefit the most from the personal and community support of living on campus.

Research in student development, and our own experiences, show that first-year students need the campus residential experience to help them transition from home life to more independent living and study at a university. Second-year students often need the continued stability of campus residential life to support their academic and social development, typically more than juniors and seniors.

Following these principles, University Housing utilizes the following priorities when housing students on-campus for any given fall semester:

Incoming freshmen are not required to reside on campus. However, those who choose to live in University Housing are guaranteed a space if they complete their housing application within our stated deadlines. Spaces for freshmen are allocated before any other populations are given access to housing.

Current students residing in University Housing are eligible to participate in a selection process prioritized by the number of terms they have lived in University Housing.

First selection – 2 or fewer terms lived in University Housing

Second selection – 3 or 4 terms

Third selection – 5 or 6 terms

Fourth selection – 7 or more terms

Returning Study Abroad/Co-op Students who lived in University Housing immediately prior to study abroad are eligible to participate in Housing Sign-Up at the same selection priority as if they had lived on campus.

Transfer students and enrolled students living off-campus

Similar priorities exist to guide the housing of students during winter, spring, and summer semesters. Different dates, applications, and deadlines exist for these periods.

Housing Outlook 2012-2016

The total number of residence hall and apartment spaces throughout the University Housing system varies somewhat from year to year depending on capital projects that require closing a facility for renovation or major improvements. For practical and financial reasons, University Housing has been scheduling one facility each year for planned capital improvements.

The following plan for facility improvements is offered to help incoming and returning students anticipate their housing options over the next few years – based on the stated assignment and selection priorities.